Apparatus for handling sewer-pipe and the like



W. H. MAYHEW. APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SEWER PIPE AND THE LIKE.

Patented Nov. 1, 192L 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

APPLICATION FILED MAR29,1920. 1,395,588.

l/VVE/YTOR w/rwsssss I I wn/W W. H. MAYHEW.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SEWER PIPE AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 29.1920.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVE/V TOR 0 1 gwgnvssg s mm-w. [u 7 W. H. MAYHEW. APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SEWER PIPE AND THE LIKE.

1,395,588. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, I920- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

f I 1 \x I INVENTOR w/ r/vzvssss amen; N.

PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER H. MAYHEW, OF TORONTO, OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SEW'ER-PIPE AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Application filed March 29, 1920. Serial No. 369,595.

To "all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, VVALTER H. MAYHEW, residing at Toronto, in the county of Jefferson and State of Ohio, a citizen of the United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Handling Sewer-Pipe and the like, of which improvements the followin is a specification.

y invention relates to conveyors, and specifically consists in apparatus for inverting sewer pipes, immediately after the shaping of them, and while they are still un burned. Sewer pipe is, by the necessities of the case, formed socket end down. The socket end is the end which requires to be safeguarded, to a degree not required respecting the other end, from accidental injury in the further operations of manufacture, and, in order that it be safeguarded from injury, the newly formed pipe requires to be inverted, that it shall rest upon its plain end, its socket end uppermost, and free from the stresses and the liabilities to accident to which the lower end must of necessity be subject.

Heretofore machinery has been devised and employed for this very purpose, but it is relatively intricate; it require the attention of a considerable number of workmen; and, in case it falls into disrepair, there is relatively great delay in putting it into condition again. The advantages of my invention are simplicity (it is hand-operated), ease of operation, relatively little trouble in maintaining in operative condition, and con sequ'ently relatively little time required for V purposes of repair.

The machine embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure I is a plan view of the machine in its entirety; Fig. II is a view in transverse vertical section on the plane indicated by the line II-II, Fig. I; Fig. III is a longitudinal vertical section, on the plane indicated at III-III, Fig. I; Fig. IV is a side elevation of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. III.- Fig. V is a view in perspective, illustrating an adjustable bearing, which forms part of the apparatus as shown in Figs. II and IV; Fig. VI is a side elevation of a portion of the apparatus shown in Figs. I and II. Fig. VII is a view in vertical section, showing a newly formed length of pipe mounted in its proper supports, and in position relative to other parts of my improved machine by means of which it is carrled to the inverting means. Fig. VIII is a plan view of a portion of the pipe support shown in Fig. VII. Fig. IX is a view in. longitudinal section of a portion of my -achine and, particularly, that portion to which sewer pipe is initially delivered. after it has in the operation of the machine been inverted (of. ig. III).

The machine consists fundamentally and essentially of inverting apparatus; and, as sociated with the inverting apparatus, of means, first, for conveying the newly formed pipe to the inverting apparatus, and, second, means for conveying the inverted pipe from the inverting apparatus to a station whence it may be taken to the kiln or to such other place as conditions of manufacture may dictate.

Referring first in a general way to Fig. I it is to be remarked that the inverting appa ratus proper is shown in the central portion of this figure. To the right are the means by which the newly formed pipe is conveyed to the inverting apparatus, and to the left are the means by which the inverted pipe is brought to a place whence it may be taken away.

I shall first explain the inverting appara tu proper, and new direct attention to the details shown in Figs. I to VI, inclusive.

The inverting apparatus includes a carrier made up of a cradle member 1 and finger members or stops 2. The cradle member, as will be seen at a glance, comparing Figs. I and II, is shaped and arranged to engage a newly formed sewer pipe on one side and on it exterior cylindrical. surface, while the fingers or stops 2 are so disposed as to extend opposite the ends of the sewer pipe. It will be seen that these parts, cradle and fingers, cooperate to receive a sewer pipe when introduced laterally, to sustain the sewer pipe by gravity while the carrier turns over, and to deliver the pipe again laterally.

The cradle member consists conveniently of a frame which may be formed of metal, and to which the numeral 1 is in the drawings applied, and of a bearing block of material suitable to engage the surface of the pipe without injury. This block will preferably not be made of metal, and is in my embodiment of my invention made of wood. The block bears, in the drawings, the numeral 3. This block 3 is removable and replaceable, to the end that blocks of different face curvature may be used, adapting the machine to sewer pipes of different diameters. The fingers or stops 2 are made of suitable material, and, as is best indicated in Fig. III, they are mounted upon the frame 1, and are so mounted that the space between them may be adjusted, to accommo .tion longitudinal of a contained pipe. Such play is conveniently provided for by bolting the cradle to the frame, as by a bolt 33, and forming a slot, such as 34, in one or both of these parts for the passage of the bolts. The extent of such play in the machine I have built and am using is one inch. The reason for such play is this: In order to insure ready introduction and removal of a length of sewer pipe to and from the carrier a certain loosenes of fit is desirable, longitudinally of the pipe between opposite fingers or stops 2. Before inversion the pipe rests on the fingers beneath. After 111- version it rests on the opposite fingers, and in coming to this position it has slid through a slight interval within the frame. In this slide, slight though itis, there should be norubbing of the surface of the pipe; accordingly, the cradle remains in intimate contact with the pipe surface, and the provision for sliding is between cradle and frame. As already indicated, I find the provision of a one-inch play sufficient to cover practical conditions. r

This carrier, made up as has now been explained, of cradle and fingers, is mounted for turning, in such a way that the sewer pipe, received into it while in vertical position, may be inverted and brought again to vertical position, that end up which was down, and that end down which was up. To accomplish this, the carrier is provided with stub shafts 4. These preferably extend from the frame 1 of the cradle memher, as is well indicated in Fig. 4, and they are mounted in housings, as is well illustrated inFigs. I andv II.

.The housings are adjustable in height,

through'which adjustment may be made and, base member 5 being firmly mountedin'the floor where the apparatus is installed; the bearing blocle 6 may be raised and lowered to effect the desired result. It will be understood that such vertical adjustable housings are duplicated on either side of the machine, to receive the two stub shafts 4. The purpose of this vertical adjustment is to adapt the machine to the handling of sewer pipes of different sizes and particularly to such as have socket end flanges of different dimensions. But it will be understood that, when once adjustment has been made for operation on sewer pipe of particular dimensions, no further adjustment of the bearing blocks for the shafts 4 is required.

Turning again to Fig. IV, it will be observed of the point of turning, that it is remote from the center lines of the carrier, both vertical and horizontal; that it is below a horizontal line extending medially through the carrier, and is to the left of a medial vertical line such as might bedrawn. In Fig. IV I'have shown in dotted lines a sewer pipe in place in the carrier, and it will be understood that, so long as the carrier is empty, the center of gravity will lie to the right of the center of turning, and the tendency of the empty carrier. as seen in Fig. IV will be to turn to the right,

yet, when a sewer pipe is put in place inof the carrier, when the sewer pipe comes" to position, and is borne thereby, will come to or approximately to a vertical line pass-I ing through the 'point of turning.

It is, however, to be borne in mind that} the center of gravity is stillabove a ho ri zontal line passing through the icenter of turning, so that, immediately the loaded carrier is moved from the vertical position shown in- Fig. IV, gravity will tend to cause the carrier to turn directly over, ef-

fecting the desired inversion of the pipe. Gravity is so resorted to, to effect inversion; but the action of gravity is controlled, by providing one of the shafts 4 with a brake drum 10 (see Figs. II and VI) upon which operates a brake band 1]., controlled".

by a hand lever 12. The initial impulse in turning may be given by the hand of an attendant. A stop 28 maybe provided, to

determine with accuracy the position of the carrier when after turning. it is brought to rest. a 7

By these instrumentalities, as now clearly appears, a sewer pipe received into the carrier may, with'the. aid of gravity alone and without the; use of any motor, be swung and inverted by hand. The fingers or stops 2, spaced apart a proper distance to receive the sewer pipe with the looseness of fit already described, are advantageously beveled at their forward ends, as indicated at 13, to facilitate the introduction of the sewer pipe and to guard against injury in introduction. Throughout all the turning action, the sewer pipe rests by gravity in the carrier; the displacement of the pipe within the carrier due to gravity has already been explained. There is no binding nor clamping, such as either to crush or mutilate the newly-formed length of pipe, nor such as to cause any delay in the reception of and the securing of the pipe within the carrier, nor its discharge therefrom.

It remains to describe the means for bringing a length of pipe from the press in which it is formed to the turning apparatus, and then the means employed for conveying the pipe from the turning apparatus to the point from which it may be disposed of.

Considering first the means for bringing the pipe from the press to the turning apparatus, attention is called to Figs. VII and VIII in connection with Figs. I and III. In Fig. VII a length of sewer pipe A is shown in the position in which it comes from the press, that is, with its flange or socket end down. A chuck 14.- is provided, and it will be understood that chucks of different sizes for receiving sewer pipes of to place upon it, it (the chuck) comes within the socket at the end of the pipe, and the weight of the pipe comes upon the point where the base of the socket rests upon the chuck. This is clearly shown in Fig. VII. The chuck 14 is provided with a central drum 15. And again a suitable supply of such drums is provided, of different lengths, according as the machine is to handle sewer pipe sections of different lengths. At this point an operation of trimming of the upper edge of the pipe ordinarily is performed; but, sincemy invention is in no manner involved in this, the trimming instrumentalities are not shown. When trimming has been performed, a cover plate or shod 16 is placed upon the drum 15, and this cover plate or shod so applied overlies and bears easily upon the otherwise exposed upper edges of the sewer pipe A. I The chuck rests upon a platform 17, upon which the whole maybe moved, and to this end it is shown provided with opposite. handles 18. The platform 17 is recessed beneath with spaces 19 for purposes presently to be explained; and, similarly, shod 16 above is provided with blocks 29. The drum supported in the manner described is carried from the press and brought to position upon the car 20.

The car 20 is mounted to travel upon tracks 21, and, as shown in Fig. III, tracks 21 are inclined at a slight down grade from the remote end to the inverting apparatus. Furthermore, the car 20 is, as indicated, counterweighted. The proportions are such that the loaded car will descend the incline and bring the sewer pipe to position in the inverting apparatus; but, immediately the weight of the sewer pipe is lifted from the car, the counterweight will carry the car back again up grade, to its initial and remote position. A movable stop 22 may be provided to determine accurately the position of the car for receiving its load, and to hold it stationary until the moment comes when it is to advance with its load to the inverting apparatus. The platform of the car is preferably formed of a series of idly turning rollers 23, as shown.

WVhen the sewer pipe in its support has been brought to position and set upon the car 20 as shown in Fig. VII, the apparatus being otherwise ready, stop 22 is swung, and the car advances by gravity down the inclined tracks, in the direction indicated by the arrow a, Fig. I. The parts are so proportioned and arranged that, as the car so advances, the lower fingers or straps 2 of the carrier will enter the spaces 19 beneath platform 17, andthe upper fingers or stops will pass over the plate or shod 16 and between the blocks 29 thereon. The carriage so advances until the length of sewer pipe in its support is brought to position in the carrier already described. The carrier when empty and in position for receiving a length of sewer pipe tends by its own weight to turn over, and, a'length of sewer pipe having come to position within it and the carrier being unrestrained, its tendency to turn will relieve the car 20 wholly or partly of the weight of the length of pipe. This may be and, in the machine as I now operate it, is alone suflicient to cause the car 20 under influence of its counterweight to recede. Such recession will of course be facilitated by the roller bearing which the pipe makes as it rests upon the car platform. But, even if such shifting of weight is not sufficient to effect release of the car, the ensuing turning of the carrier will immediately raise the pipe and free the car, so that recession of the car will follow. v

The operation of inversion has already been described.

The means for removing the sewer pipe from the inverting apparatus to a point whence it may be conveyed away, are particularly shown in Figs. I, III, and IX. They consist essentially of a car 24 traveling on rails 25 (which may conveniently be, as the drawings show, extensions of the tracks 21, already mentioned) to and from position beneath the inverting apparatus. This car is provided with a platform which may be raised and lowered again. Convenient instrumentalities for effecting this end consist of wheel axles provided with crank portions Or eccentrics 26, and a hand lever, 27, is provided by means of which the axles may at proper times be turned to alternately raiseand lower the car platform.

The operation is this: Nhen a pipe has been inverted in the turning apparatus, the car 2a is advanced. Its platform then is in lowered position. In such position the car passes freely beneath the inverting apparatus. When a pipe has been inverted and a car 2% brought beneath, lever 27 is swung. As it swings the car platform rises, and, engaging blocks 29, lifts the length of sewer pipe within the carrier. Retraction of car 24 then carries thepipe from the carrier in which it was inverted and brings it to a point convenient for removal. When the car has traveled a sufiicient distance, so that the sewer pipe is free of the inverting apparatus, platform 17, chuck 14 and drum 15 may all be taken away. The inverted pipe may now be picked up by a suitable truck and conveyed by a workman ,to the kiln or other place whither it is desired to carry it. r 7

Operation has been described, step by step, in the progress of the description of the apparatus, so that repetition is now unnecessary. r

In the ensuing claims I define what is of the essence of my invention; beyond these essential features the showingof my specification is exemplary merely, and permits mounted in said frame, and a stop member also mountedin said frame and adapted to extend across the end of the articlewhen in place in the cradle member, the mounting of-the cradle and of the stop member in the frame including a loose connection, whereby'in service cradle and stop member are free to move one relatively to the other within a limited range as the structure is inverted.

'2. An inverting device for a fragile article, including a carrier trunnioned in bearings, the point of turning beingbelow the center of gravity of the loaded carrier, and a'brake for controlling the movement of the loaded carrier as it turns'under the influence of gravity. substantially as described.

3. An inverting device for fragile articles of varying size, including a carrier trunnioned in bearings, the point of turning being below the center of gravity of the loaded carrier, means for shifting transversely the center of gravity of the carrier, to compensate for variation in the size of the article carried, and means for controlling the movement of the loaded carrier as it turns under the influence of gravity, substantially as described.

4:. In conveyer apparatus for fragile articles, an inverting device including opposite vertically adjustable housings, a cradle 75 trunnioned in said housings, the turning point being below the center of gravity of the loaded cradle, an arm extending radially from the trunnioned structure with a counterweight adjustable longitudinally of said arm, a, brake drum on said trunnioned structure, and a manually operable brake band cooperating with said drum, substantially as described. A

5. In a conveyer for fragile articles, the combination with an inverting apparatus, of a car movable to and from said inverting apparatus, the said parts so arranged that the car in its advance brings the article to position in the inverting apparatus, and a counterweight, the counterweight being so related to the weight of the car when empty and when loaded that the loaded car moves by gravity to the inverting apparatus and the empty car moves by gravity from the inverting apparatus, substantially as described.

6. In a conveyer for fragile article, the combination of a carrier mounted for turning and tending while emptyto'turn from- 100 receiving position and a car adapted to travel on rails and to bring an article to position within the carrier when the carrier stands in receiving position, said car being provided with a roller-equipped ar- 105 tide-sustaining platform, substantially as described.

7. In a conveyer for fragile articles the combination of a gravity-impelled inverting apparatus, a counterweighted 'gravity-im- V pelled supply car, coordinated with said in- WALTERH. MAYHEW.

Witnesses BAYARD H. CHRISTY, "FRANCIS J. TOMASSON. 

